The band Swim Two Birds is surely one of the most outstanding discoveries in the German scene this decade. Traditionally critics and audiences except New York to exhibit the latest metropolitan hipness in avant-garde-music…
Swim Two Birds have drawn their own conclusions: their sound is explosive, risky, rebellious. A critic once named their music: “No Wave Jazz Punk Noise Funk Call It Anything” … and he was right.
Achim Faerber shared the theatre stages and studios for radioplays with great artists like Sophie Rois, Sybille Cannonica, Lesly Malton, Lilith Stangenberg, Kathrin Angerer, Nadeshda Brennecke, Melika Foriutan, Meret Becker, Anne Ratte-Polle, Anna Maria Mühe, Marisa Wilcke, Jule Böwe, Alice Dwyer, Jens Harzer, Berhard Schütz, Ulrich Matthes, Dirk von Lowtzow, Iris Berben, Ulrich Pleitgen, Nele Rosetz, Gemma Ray, Kay Bartholomäus Schulze, Blake Worrell, Cobra Killer, Christiane Gut, Oliver Stritzel, Hans-Jochen Wagner, Christian Wittmann,Ronald Zehrfeld, Ursina Lardi, Tatja Seibt, Lars Rudolph, Albrecht Schuch, Johannes Flachmeyer,Magdalena Gröllmann, Marc Hosemann,Ulrich Noethen……
AUTOMAT
Phillip Boa & The Voodooclub
Project Pitchfork
Wolfsheim
Peter Heppner
Tito & Tarantula
Die Krupps
De/Vision
Greenhaus UK
Thomas Cohen
Joanna Gemma Auguri
GLEN
Blixa Bargeld
Paul Eisen
The Golden Vampire Experience
Mark Burgess (The Chameleons)
The Sun And The Moon
Eisbrecher
Sandy Dillon & Ray Majors
Skip McDonald (Little Axe)
Vera Di Lecce
Rogall & The Electric Circus Sideshow
Earl Zinger & DJ Rogall
Ben Lukas Boysen
Danny Dziuk
Joachim Witt
Brockmann/Bargmann
Martin Dean
The Electric Family
Prag
Martyn Heyne
Tom Krimi
Josef Hien
Raphael Tschernuth
Katharina Franck
Butzbacher und Brommelmeier + Orchestre Bonifaz
Das Wilde Fest
Hoover
Oddjob
Haujobb
DSTR
Architect
Black Swan Lane
Ruin
Pia Lund
Swim Two Birds
Virulent Violins
The Pachinko Fake
Carnival Of Dreams
Prince Of The Blood
Alien Fire
Surplus Stock
Cliff Barnes & The Fear Of Winning
Nylon
Alder Ego
Monkeeman
Tex Morton
Carsten Klatte
Lacasa Del Cid
Xandria
Wunder
Zeromancer
The Perc Meets The Hidden Gentleman
Artland Country Club
In 2 Deep
Very Inc.
Wittmann/Zeitblom
Diane Lemonbaby & Bela B.
Staatstheater Oldenburg
Berliner Ensemble
HKW Berlin
Volksbühne Berlin
KuBa Bremen-Nord
Moks Theater Bremen
Die Leute, die mich fragen ob ich für sie Gitarre spielen kann, wollen, ob live oder für Aufnahmen, in der Regel speziell mein Spiel.
Was das genau ist, läßt sich mit Buchstaben nur schwer wiedergeben, ist aber mittlerweile auf diversen Tonträgern nachhörbar.
Professionelle MusikhörerInnen sagten / schrieben z. B. : ….ungeheuer einfühlsam / schonungslos aggressiv / …Ausnahmegitarrist / …wütende Soundattacken /…
…..ich würde es so versuchen : Zwischen der Hochgeschwindigkeitssequenz und dem glücklichen Auffinden des einen Tones der die Geschichte eines Stückes verständlich macht ist eine Menge Platz ———— den ich auch gerne mal mit unhörbaren Tönen ausfülle………..man muß ja nicht immer alles vorkauen.
Hier ein Auszug:
Die letzten Tage der Menschheit ( Goethe Theater / U-Boot Bunker Valentin )…. Git
Fehlfarben ( Live + Studio) …..Git
Dieter Serfa´s Ear Tranceport …..Git & Dr.
Helmut Debus Wohen ?……. Bass & Git
Rumble on the Beach Purple Rain…… Git
Witt ( Live )….. Git & voc
The Perc meets the hidden gentleman ……git & Dr. & Electronix ( Live und div. Cds)
Electric Family…… Git & Electr.
The MINT…… Git
Barbara Gosza…… Dr
The White Rose Transmission…… Dr. & Electr. & Harmonica
Sadato……. Git
Swim two Birds……… git & Voc ( Live )
LP Bunt ! Rabotti Band (SW / EfA)
EP – Look ! The other Side The Pachinko Fusion ( Fuego/ RTD )
LP – “The Pachinko Fake” The Pachinko Fake (Strange Ways / EfA)
LP/CD ” Yo Kundam ” The Pachinko Fake ( SW / EfA )
CD ” Por la vida ” The Pachinko Fake ( SW / Indigo )
CD ” Kumquat Combat ” The Dharma Drums ( SW / Indigo )
Maxi ” Push me before I fall ” The Pachinko Fake ( SW / AMV )
Maxi ” Alien Paradise ” Aliens from Earth ( Loudculture / MfS )
Maxi ” Klingclone ” Aliens from Earth ( Tunnel / Uptown )
CD „Claustrophobia and other joys“ The Pachinko Fake ( Sireena / Fenn )
The Dry Halleys — True Slave, Crash-Landing Chemistry
The Convent — Mocha for the Lions
Swim two Birds — Apsion, The Bloody Thumb Cookbook
Fehlfarben — Die Platte des himmlischen Friedens
Barbara Gosza — Love it is
The Pachinko Fake — all
Sadato — Dill
Dharma Drums — Kumquat Combat
Almost everything from The Pachinko Fake
Most of Dharma Drums
The Escape for Witt (on Bayreuth 2)
Trailer for Quincy & Columbo (RTL)
Music for the documentary Competition under white sails / Cutty Sark (NDR / 3 Sat)
M. for the documentary Peter d. Große by Uli Scholz (NDR / 3 Sat)
“I hardly miss tea at all” film essay by Fabian Becker (NDR)
Various productions for the open-air theater
Lubricat group
The last days of humanity (RB / ARTE)
Opera / choreographic theater with singing “UNDO”
Music for various video films and TV trailers
Music for the cinema trailer Mix / The city in your pocket and Filmbüro / Young Collection
Martin Klingeberg
Trumpet, tenorhorn, vocals, composition
Born 1961 in Braunschweig, West-Germany, as the seventh child of the Seventh-Day–Adventist preacher Johannes Klingeberg and his wife Helene. Early musical education, flute-, piano- and guitarlessons, trumpet since 1973.
1981 Baccalaureat, then civilservice at the Red Cross, followed by the education as a carpenter, short studies in pedagogics at the university.
1986 musicstudent at the „Hermann-Zilcher-Conservatory“, first classical music and pedagogics , later jazz.
1992 successful final examination.
1988-1996 co-owner of a club and a beergarden in Würzburg/Germany, besides numerous musical activities („D-I-Project, „Swim-Two-Birds“, „Seven Minds“ „Collaborators“ and more).Work as a teacher of a private jazzschool.
,1996 move to Berlin, working as a teacher and as a free musician in numerous projects from soloperformances up to bigbandwork, several works for television and film and as a studiomusician.
1998 teacher at the „Jazz-School-Berlin“.
2000 two theatreproductions at the „Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz“, “Herr Kolpert” and “Supermarket”, directed by Thomas Ostermeier, another theatre coproduction in Basel and Frankfurt, “Helden des 20. Jahrhunderts”, and
2003 engagement at the „Berliner Ensemble“, a production with Robert Wilson and Herbert Grönemeyer. In 2005 another production at the Schaubühne Berlin, „Die Dummheit“ by Rafael Spregelburd ( working as composer, bassplayer and singer) and another production with Robert Wilson, Shakespeare`s „Wintermärchen“.
2007 the next work with Robert Wilson,the „THREE PENNY OPERA“,
which played in Berlin,Poland, Norway, Paris, Tel Aviv, Amsterdam, New York, Hongkong, Perth and so on.
2012 „DANTONS DEATH“ (Georg Büchner), directed by Claus Peymann, work as musical director, composer and musician.
2013 Composer and Musician (tenorhorn, guitar, vocals, slide-guitar) for “Hans im Glück”, written by Berthold Brecht, under direction of Sebastian Sommer, at the Berliner Ensemble.
August 2014 first appearance ever as an actor, playing Bela Lugosi and Donald McCoy in the theatreadaptation of the film “Ed Wood” by Tim Burton, besides playing trumpet and singing.
Short after that Peter Miklusz, who also directed the theatre piece, hired me for his short film “Maulwurfkuchen”.
In February 2016 Premiere of
“VICTOR oder DIE KINDER AN DER MACHT” under direction of Nicolas Charaux, where I played on stage, composed all the music and created the sounddesign (with ableton live).2017 I worked with Philip Tiedemann for his piece “Herzstück” as composer, musical director and musician.
In spring 2018 I returned to the “Schaubühne” for “Italienische Nacht” (Horvath), directed by Thomas Ostermeier.
In August 2018 I worked on “Der Gute Mensch von Sezuan” at the Potsdam Theatre, directed by Malte Kreutzfeldt, as musical director, composer and musician.
Actual theatre work is “Brechts Gespenster” at the Berliner Ensemble, premiere 2022-09-21, with Suse Wächter and Matthias Trippner.
March 2023 premiere of “Das Fest”, an adaptation of the dogma film for theater at the Hans-Otto-Theater Potsdam, directed by Bettina Jahnke, where I am musical director and musician and composed the music for a quartet.
Actual collaboration with Oderbruch Museum Altranft “Tagpfauenauge im Februar”, a text- and sound installation with Kay Dietrich.
Lots of bandprojects :„Shank“,„TheBOOst“,„BABY BONK“,„BenBecker und die ZERO TOLERANCE BAND“,„NasserKilada`s Groove of the Nile“,„NADA“ (Vokalprojekt),„SevenMinds“,„MUSIKA“ „The Pachinko Fake“,„Swim-Two-Birds“,„Materia“,„Andy Winter Band“,„Jazzclub2000“,„TAAL TANTRA“,„TANGOCRASH“,“RANIN“, „EBO TAYLOR AND AFROBEAT ACADEMY“,“UliGumpertWorkshopband“, “C.v.d.Goltz and Friends” ,”ALPHA ALPHA” , “phonON 3” and others.
Recent project is my pocket brass band PHON-O-RAMA, with Johannes Lauer on trombone, Martial Frenzel on drums and Orlando de Boeykens on tuba, recordings have been made and will be mixed and released soon.
Tours and Festivals in Brasil, India, Poland,France, Argentina, Italy, Austria, Greece, Belgium, Norway, Israel, Marocco, USA, China, Russia, Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, Turkey and so on…..
Worked with John Tchicai, Conny Bauer, Uwe Kropinski, Rudi Mahall, Jan Roder, Uschi Brüning, Baby Sommer, Andreas Willers, John Schröder, Martin Zenker, Uli Gumpert, Potsch Potschka (Spliff), Jean Louis Rassinfosse (10 years the bassplayer of Chet Baker),Tanmoy Bose(Tablaplayer of Ravi Shankar), Kalle Kalima and many others.
Discographie:
1990: „Landesjugendjazzorchester Bayern“, „You better know it“, bei Balance-Music
1991: „Swim-Two-Birds“, „Not Serious“ bei STB-Records
1991: „Ron Spielman Band“, „Skin and Wire“, bei Powersound- Records
1991: „Roberto Magris and the D-I-Project“, „Music of Today“ (Italien)
1992: „Swim Two Birds“, „Apsion“ bei Call-It-Anything (VeraBra Records)
1993: „Eugen de Ryck and the Funkomatic Hippies“, „Take You Higher“ bei Schneeballrec.
1994: „Dharma Drums“, „Kumquat Combat“, bei Strangeways
1994: „Swim Two Birds“, „The Bloody Thumb Cookbook“, bei Call-It-anything
1994: „Ron Spielman Band“, „Solution“, bei PowersoundRecords
1998: „Torsten Zwingenberger“, „Drivin`you crazy“, bei RecyclingRec
1999: „Seven Minds“, „BONK“, bei RecyclingRec,
1999: „Potsch Potschka“, „Sahara“, bei BSC-Music
1999: Udo Jürgens, bei Ariola
2000: „Dead Bodies in the Box“, „Kolpert“ (Soundtrack zum gleichnamigen Theaterstück)
2001: „Ben Becker und die Zero Tolerance Band“, „Wir heben ab“, bei BMG
2001: „Shank“, „Soundtrack“, bei United-One-Records
2001: „Nada“, „Panta Rei“, bei NaxosRecords
2002: „Andy Winter Group“, „Delicate Move“ (feat. Hiram Bullock), bei ZYXmusic
2002: „Nasser Kilada“, „Samah“, bei BSCmusic
2003: „Wir sind Helden“, „Aurelie“ (Single), bei ReklamationRecords
2003: „Cosmic Dogs“, „Contact“ (Schweiz)
2004: „Taaltantra“ (Indien)
2004: „Shank“, „DO“ produziert von Burnt Friedmann, bei Nonplace Records
2005: „Baby Bonk….sagt die Wahrheit“, bei Konnex Records
2005: „Wir sind Helden“, „Von Hier An Blind“ bei Reklamation Records
2008: „UBU REX SAXONIA“ Hörspiel mit Musik von „BABY BONK“,
Hörspieledition Words and Music,
2008: „ULRICH GUMPERT WORKSHOPBAND“, „SUITES“, BEI JAZZWERKSTATT
2008: BABY BONK, „MAMA“, bei NRW-Records
2010: GEEZER, “Deepwater Blackout”, bei Souls United
2012: TANGO CRASH , „ACCIDENTE DE TANGO“, bei Galileo
2012: BLOFISH , bei Laika
2014: Ranin
2014: Ulrich Gumpert Workshop Band plays Mingus
2015: K.I.Z. (Goldene CD)
2016: CvdG Projekt, “Paradise”, bei Trouble In The East Records
2017: phonON 3 “CYBORG”
2020: Brüning und Betancor, ICH MEIN DICH, bei Kurtmusik
2023: CvdG Projekt “Limbo”
Peter Apel has been working as a freelance composer and musician since 1980 and lives in Bremen. Early artistic stations: ….the formation ELECTRIC JAZZ GROUP OSTERTOR, ….the ethno-jazz trio COSMIC FUN, ….the composition of the music for the “Meditation of the Four Directions” by the Moroccan Sufi master Jabrane Sebnat, …..the avant-garde jazz formation SCHIEMANN GROUP (LP Stollenblues/Thein), with various festival appearances and radio recordings, including at the Int. New Jazz Festival Moers, …..the realization of his symphonic work “17.23h” by the 40-member KROSS ORCHESTRA founded by Peter Apel (premiered Breminale 1987), …..the pop and jazz musical fusion PELA (7’inch with the title “I’ve got you under my skin”), …..the hardcore electronic band THE DRY HALLEYS (LP/CD “Crash Landing Chemistry”/Dark Star/Freibank/efa-Vertrieb), …..the fake jazz septet SWIM TWO BIRDS (CDs “The Bloody Thumb Cookbook 1994”, “Apsion 1992”, “Not Serious” 1990), …..the jazz trio PETER APEL KOMBO, with tours in East and West Germany (MC “Don’t pay that bill” edition collage/STB-records), …..ENSEMBLE RAUM 19, which has performed various festivals and made radio/TV recordings as a jazz quartet and large formation (including the Nuremberg Jazz Festival, Interjazz Leningrad (presented by Vladimir Feyertag), Breminale, Vilnius Jazz Festival Lithuania, Würzburg Jazz Festival).
In 1991, the choral music collage HANSEATIKA was premiered in collaboration with the choir director and composer Hartmut Emig and the newly structured KROSS ORCHESTER as well as the choirs HART BACKBORD, BEGU-CHOR, GESANGSVEREIN ARBERGEN.
1992 Founding of the poetry/music duo ABROMEIT/APEL. Numerous solo concerts with various thematic focuses. Composition of the ballet music for the dance piece “Don’t call me, I call you” by Carmen Rita Maria.
1993 Founding of the Free Music & Lyric trio SOBOTTA/APEL/ENGELSMANN. Composition of the music for the dance piece “See You” by Carmen Rita Maria. Peter Apel composed/produced the music for the early evening series ARCHITEKTOUR for Bremen television. Sound installations on the subject of HUMAN-MACHINE (Kulturwerkstatt Westend, Bremen, autumn 93). Further solo concerts with his own works, with a tendency to cross genres in the direction of environment and with new electronic instruments such as the LASER HARP.
1994 joint work “Russian Roulette” with the painter and video artist Marikke Heinz-Hoek (Kunst-Chaos-Kunst-Festival). Audio image installation “deiche brechen nie nur irgendeinen” (premiere in KW Westend, Bremen). Installation “Einflüsterung” (Junges Theater, Bremen) as well as solo performances and concerts.
1995 Premiere of the oratorio “WAR END-END WAR” (Emig/Apel) for choir and small ensemble in Bremen town hall. Composition/production of the music for the school musical “Westendstory”. Soundtrack for the video installation “18./19.8.1944” by Marikke Heinz- Hoek (FilmFest Bremen ’95).
1996 Composer for the production “Leben wie die Schweine” (Schauspielhaus/Bremer Theater) and for the dance improvisation “Artaud” (Kontorhaus).
1997 Tour/studio guitarist for CRIBB 199, Perc’s ELECTRIC FAMILY, BETTERMEN, TELSTARS. Various performances with his composition “Eiserne Zeit” (for concert harp, guitar, electronics and tape), including in the Bremen town hall. Founding of the concert series WHO’S UNCLE MO? .
1998 Commissioned composition “Apel meets Eisler” on the occasion of the Hanns Eisler Days in Bremen (premiere) and live radio broadcast from the Junges Theater. Artistic director of the jazz revue “Moments Total Live” (Radio Bremen recording). Founded the internet information and event service MOMUSIC in cooperation with bassist and arranger Thomas Milowski. Concerts with the band of saxophonist Bernd Schlott.
1999 on tour/in concert with The Perc’s ELECTRIC FAMILY, saxophonist Frank Mead (UK), dulcimer player Remo Crivelli (CH), vocalist Sandhya Sanjana (India) and drummer Jörn Schipper. Founded various project bands. Successfully organized the anniversary party for the three-year non-stop existence of the cult Wednesday concert series WHO’S UNCLE MO? under the title “Mobiläum”.
2000 Artistic director of the jazz & lyric project “Wallking on Eggshells” (lyrics by Herbert Simmons, speaker Michael Pundt, saxophone Frank Delle) commissioned by Atlantik-Verlag (series: Soul Fiction). Founding of the concert series SOBOTNIK-EVENTS for the Bremen club “Oblomow”. On tour with Kojo Samuels and his West African band “Mister E.K.S.”. Concerts with the project “Apel sings Brecht” with the cellist Anka Hirsch. Electronic music between avant-garde and drum’n bass with the project ELECTRIC GROOVES INDUSTRIES (RB 2 live recording/MIBnightjazzfestival 01). Live film music for the historical science fiction film “Aelita” (Kino 46, Bremen).
2001 Successful re-location (February ’01) of the concert series WHO’S UNCLE MO? in the Bremen club “Studio auf den Höfen” (involuntary discontinuation of the series in October ’01 due to the gastronomic conversion of this unique live…
this CV is not complete
Peter Apel died suddenly in June 2024
RIP rock’n’roll never dies!
Ralf Benesch
Guitarist, saxophonist and composer
born in 1962 in Nürtingen
started playing guitar at the age of 12. First radio appearance with SDR in 1976.
Participated as an ensemble member in the Darmstadt Days for New Music in the summer of 1978.
Concert tour through Thailand and the Philippines and workshops as a lecturer (1982).
Studied at the music academies in Bremen and Hanover.
In the 80s, numerous band projects, e.g. the large anarcho-punk formation Baalbek, the Kroß Orchestra (realization of collective compositions with Jens Ahlers, Thomas Mävers and Peter Apel), Die Kosmischen Bademeister (New Wave) etc.
1989 and 1991 tours through Finland and Latvia as a concert guitarist.
Since 1989, member of the jazz formation Swim Two Birds, appearances with STB at the international jazz festivals in Leverkusen, Brindisi (Italy), Wiesen (Austria). Tours through Brazil, Bulgaria, Romania and Finland at the invitation of the Goethe Institute.
1992 Founding of the Music Recycling Trio (jazz experiments)
1994 Arranger and interpreter with Trio Beaux Rivages (20th century classics) with Andree Schmid (clarinet) and Dirk Lüking (double bass).
Compartment 6: Music performance in Bremen Central Station.
1995 JazzGegenGeld with Mark Scheibe.
Annual appearances as a soloist at the International Literature Festival “Poetry on the Road”.
Several engagements from 2003 as a guest musician (guitar and banjo) in musical and opera productions with the orchestras of the Bremerhaven City Theater, the Oldenburg State Theater and the Goethe Theater Bremen.
In August 2006, guest at the MutterOrchester under the direction of Michael Gross, on the occasion of the Brecht Gala in the Berliner Ensemble with Milva, the Kessler twins and Katharina Thalbach.
Autumn 2006, performance of the Canto General by Mikis Theodorakis and Pablo Neruda with the Oldenburger Chor Bundschuh in Santiago de Chile and Temuco at the invitation of the Mapuche Parliament.
April 2008, concert with “Das Wilde Fest” at JazzAhead Bremen.
2009 performances with the folk-jazz-rock crossover project KOHARAPAYL in Yerevan and at the Beirut Jazz Festival.
Autumn 2010, European tour with Rolando Villazón and the Bolivar Soloists.
February 2013, recordings for Deutsche Grammophon with Pacho Flores (trumpet) and
the Konzerthausorchester Berlin.
April 2013, recordings for Deutsche Grammophon with Avi Avital (mandolin),
“Between Worlds”
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Our friend and long-time fellow musician died in April 2019.
The stylistically versatile musician Ralf Benesch died unexpectedly on April 11th at the age of 57 after a serious illness. The guitarist and saxophonist was active in many areas of Bremen’s cultural scene: He felt just as at home in unbridled, wild jazz projects such as the band Swim Two Birds or Benesch’s own formation Das Wilde Fest, as well as in countless groups of the Bremen Musicians’ Initiative, as he did as a guitarist in relaxed, grooving bossa nova groups (Miss Groovanova).
He was also interested in electronic music and the avant-garde. For many years, Benesch was also responsible for the sensitive and sometimes tongue-in-cheek intermezzi at the Poetry on the Road literature festival. Last but not least, Ralf Benesch has played and composed theater music at various theaters, including the theater version of Joseph Moncure March’s long poem “Das wilde Fest,” which fascinated him so much that he named his quartet after it. Ralf Benesch has always been interested in the combination of music and literature. He worked with the poet Artur Becker on Swim Two Birds and their follow-up band Les Rabiates, and in the duo Dos Ulises he devoted himself to setting modern Spanish and German poetry to music. Ralf Benesch was born in 1962 in Nürtingen, Württemberg. He began playing the guitar as a teenager before deciding to study music at universities in Bremen and Hanover. In Bremen he worked as a freelance musician and music teacher. Now a versatile and creative musician is missing from the Bremen scene.
Michael Gross
Composer and trumpeter
Born in 1967 in Illingen/Saar, he began playing the trumpet in the local brass band at the age of 9. After winning second prize in the national Jugend Musiziert competition, he became a member of the Saarland State Youth Orchestra, the National Youth Orchestra and the European Youth Orchestra. He took his first steps in jazz and rock with the MICHAEL GROSS QUARTETT and the Saarland rock jazz band DREIKLANG. With the “NEUER MUSIKVEREIN ILLINGEN” a serious alternative to local brass music was founded, performing a sophisticated classical program and focusing on new music by the Saarland composer Bernd Thewes.
With him he founded and directed the ILLINGER BURGFEST FÜR NEUE MUSIK (1987-97).
After classical training as a trumpeter at the music colleges in Saarbrücken (with Manfred Endres) and Karlsruhe (with Reinhold Friedrich), he concentrated on all kinds of contemporary music.
From 1989 onwards he worked closely as a trumpeter with the ENSEMBLE MODERN. In 1992/93 he was a member of the MUSIKFABRIK NRW, and in 1994/95 of the KLANGFORUM WIEN. With these ensembles he recorded many CDs, toured all over the world and worked with Karlheinz Stockhausen, Hans Werner Henze, György Ligeti, Maurizio Kagel, Hans Zender, Vinko Globokar, Heiner Goebbels, Frank Zappa and many others.
At the end of 1995 he gave up his permanent job in Vienna to work as a freelancer in Berlin, focusing more on improvisation and composition and to resume his work in jazz and rock projects. From 1996 to 2002 he was a trumpet lecturer at the Berlin Academy of Arts (jazz department).
During his time in Vienna he began to work with the composer Hanns Eisler, which led to the project BRECHT EISLER ELEKTRISCH for the Schwetzinger Festpiele in 1998 (with Corinna Kirchhoff, Mark Scheibe and Cem Arnold Süzer) and the production of the Eisler CD ODE AN DIE LANGEWEILE for the Berlin label NoMansLand Records (also in 1998).
In 2001 he founded the record label ACAPULCO RECORDS with the pianist Mark Scheibe in order to be able to independently publish his own projects and those of friends.
From 1998 he worked as a composer and musical director in theater productions. He wrote the music for “OMICIDI ACROBATICI” by the Compania Elettra de Salvo (1998) and, together with the musician Theo Nabicht, the writer Frank Alkämper and the artist Anke Menck, developed the literary-musical project “BLICKE ERKUNDUNGEN SCHNITTE” about Rolf Dieter Brinkmann for the EXPO 2000 in Hanover.
In 2002 he arranged Hanns Eisler’s music for Brecht’s “DIE MUTTER” for the Berliner Ensemble in a production by Claus Peymann. The MutterOrchester was founded for this occasion, with which Gross has performed regularly since then. He then composed the music for the Brecht plays “DIE HEILIGE JOHANNA DER SCHLACHTHÖFE” and “MANN IST MANN” for Peymann’s Berliner Ensemble, the latter in a production by Manfred Karge, with whom a long-term collaboration began. In 2004 he wrote the music for Büchner’s “WOYZECK” in the production by Christian Vilmar at the Volkstheater Rostock. This was followed by the music for Karge’s piece “PETERSBURG – EINE GOGOLIADE” for the Théatre de Carouge in Geneva (2005) and for Lorca’s “DOÑA ROSITA” at the Théatre des Amandiers in Paris-Nanterre in the production by Matthias Langhoff.
Also in 2005 he wrote the chamber opera “ORLANDO FURIOSO” for 3 singing voices and 5 automatic musical instruments (a project by Roland Olbeter), which premiered in Alicante and was then shown several times in Barcelona.
In 2007 Michael Gross took over the musical direction of the WALLENSTEIN production by Peter Stein (with Klaus Maria Brandauer in the title role) at the Berliner Ensemble.
Furthermore, many chamber music pieces were created over the years, such as the “THREE DRUNKEN WALTZES” for brass instruments, piano music for the radio play “BLUE HEAVEN” (Radio Bremen 2004), the “STRING QUARTET (2009)” dedicated to Hanns Eisler and arrangements of Khatchaturyan’s children’s songs for wind instruments.
He has also continued to work as a trumpeter since moving to Berlin. In addition to other projects in new music ensembles, he has also performed as a soloist (premieres by Georg Friedrich Haas and Manos Tsangaris, among others), played improvised music in various ensembles (including with Butch Morris BERLIN SKYSCRAPER ORCHESTRA, with Elliot Sharp, Robyn Schulkowski, Joey Baron, Leonid Soybelman and many others) and in 2003 began a still ongoing collaboration with the Italian poet Lello Voce, played with Christian Wolff’s ensemble for Merce Cunningham’s Dance Company and toured with the Bremen band “SWIM TWO BIRDS“, with whom he also recorded 3 CDs. He also continues to play trumpet in the mother orchestra, which he leads and for which he writes all the music, including at court concerts in the Berliner Ensemble (2003 and 2004), with the BRECHT GALA there (2006, with Katharina Thalbach, Milva and the Kessler twins, among others), for the opening of the STEYRISCHER HERBST and in the project “FÜR BRECHT” on the 50th anniversary of the poet’s death (with Anja Krabbe and David Bennent as guest soloists).
In 2007, he began a multi-year collaboration with the Armenian orchestra and choir KOHAR, where he took over rehearsal leadership from 2009 and lived alternately in Yerevan/Armenia and Berlin for one and a half years for this purpose. Tours with KOHAR in the role of sound director took him to North America (including Carnegie Hall, New York) and Syria (Damascus and Aleppo).
In Armenia, he also composed for the folk-jazz-rock crossover project KOHARAPAYL, and performances in Yerevan and at the Beirut Jazz Festival followed. The CD “ARMENO JAZZ” was released in early 2012.
Also in 2012, Gross composed the music for the silent film “MUTTER KRAUSENS FAHRT INS GLÜCK” on behalf of ARTE, which was premiered by the MutterOrchester in the Berlin Volksbühne in April 2012. The recording will be broadcast by ARTE in November 2012 and is to be released on a DVD by the Munich Film Museum.
Drums, percussion, computer engineering, guitar and keyboards
born July 30, 1963 in Bremen
Areas of work: Live and studio work for specific projects, such as bands or film music.
Current projects: Swim Two Birds (Outlaw Jazz, Bandit Surf, Rock’n’Roll)
Chung (Spazzwave, Punk’n Noise Rock) MaxLux (Electro-No-Beat)
Dog Food Indusutries (D.F.I.) multi-media project.
2003 Swim Two Birds release of the LP “Countdown” (incl. multi-media part)
Chung release of the LP “The Demented Mentors of Spazzwave” MaxLux. Producer and composer of the songs “Der Mann im Ohr” and “Der Bart muss ab”
D.F.I. Film music for the trailer “Art in Public Space”
2002 Chung engineer, producer and drummer for the LP
“The demented mentors of Spazzwave”
2000-2003 Swim Two Birds tours through Bulgaria-Romania-Finland in collaboration with the Goethe Institute.
1998 Chung LP “Chung”
1996 Party Diktator (noise rock) LP “Dive bomb”, released by Roadrunner
1995 Babbitts (glamour rock) LP “Suspicious”
1994 producer for the song “Ich seh mal was, was du nicht sehen”
feat. Stan-Tom Saby
1993 Producer for advertising film music for the company “Acer”
1991 Uli Beckerhoff-Group, concert for the Memorandum Festival, in honor of Miles Davis, in the Cologne Philharmonic
1989 Uli Beckerhoff-Group (Fusion Jazz) LP “Stay”
1988 Freeport (Free Jazz) LP “Pulse” with orchestra conducted by Michael Sievert
Belly dance project “Glenda”
Babbitts (Glamour Rock) LP “Babbitts from Outerspace”
1987 Freeport (Free Jazz) LP “L`affaire Flibustier”Sprinx (New Jazz) Festival Leverkusen Jazz Days
1986 Artspraxis (Free Jazz) Romania tour
1984 Action Painting “Painting and Music”
1979-1984 Collaboration with various Formations in the area of fusion rock and jazz, such as: Mamagei, Chamäleon, Kaman-Jazz Band, Evelyn`s Swing Gang…
Achim Gätjen
Saxophonist, composer, bandleader, video producer
born September 5th, 1955 in Bremen
1975-85 various projects in Bremen bands as a saxophonist, guitarist.
1986 Founding of the band »III. Art« Recordings: Single »Soul Mineurs«, LP »Songs Of Maldoror«
also: saxophonist in the bands »Shizzo Flamingos«, »The Dry Halleys« various recordings, tours through Hungary, Poland, Germany etc.
»What The Hell Is Jazzit« legendary sampler »vor der Zeit« (Alien Style)
Collaboration/composition on the project »Kumquat Combat« The Dharma Drums
( SW / Indigo )
Collaboration on various projects with Ralf Benesch, Hartmut Emig, André Szighetti, Peter Apel, Rolf Kirschbaum, Sadato, among others.
1990 Founding of the band »Swim Two Birds«
see Swim Two Birds
2003 Founding of »Dogfood Industries« Production and distribution of film/theater and radio play music.
Film music for the trailer “Art in Public Space”
10/2003 Winner of the »Leo« at the 17th International Film Festival in Braunschweig for the best combination of sound and film in the short film »To-Tart« by Christian Meyer.
…. VC in progress ,-)
Willy Hart (Willehad Grafenhorst)
I was born on November 6, 1961 in the Catholic hospital in Essen / OL. I spent my youth on my parents’ estate in Bunnen, a village of 1,000 inhabitants in the Oldenburg Münsterland, known for its record-breakingly large pig population. From the age of 10, I enjoyed classical piano training. During puberty, after a brief interlude as a trumpet player in the village brass band (known from radio and television), I discovered the fascination of modern jazz and rock music. By chance, I came across an electric bass, and spent my afternoons playing my instrument to the free jazz and rock records that were popular at the time, because of course there weren’t enough stylish musicians within a 50-kilometer radius in this desolate area to put together a band.
This was to change when I began studying social sciences (1981) at the University of Oldenburg. I soon met Lars Rudolph, Wigald Boning and Jim Meneses, who was stranded in Germany on a tour with David Moss, and founded the noise rock band “KIXX” (LP “The hidden Lover” – ITM Records). In 1988, after I had moved to Bremen, I formed the Schlager-Trash band “Boning Hart und die Deep Emotions” in collaboration with Wigald Boning, later “Bremen” (LP/CD “Bremen” – Polydor). At the same time, I became a member of the rock band “Babbitts” (LP “In Outer Space” / CD “Suspicious”), played in the avant-garde rock trio “Die Boxer” (with Lars Rudolph and Ulrik Spies), finished my studies, was the producer of the slut band “Die Mädchen”, later also performed with the jazz revue “Acapulco” (with Mark Scheibe, Michael Gross), and have been the bassist of “Swim Two Birds” since 1990 (CDs “Not Serious”, “Apsion”, “The Bloody Thumb Cookbook”, “Sweet Relief”, “CountDown”) by the composer and saxophonist Achim Gätjen, have lived in Berlin since 1996, played with the hip-hop band “Zentrifugal” in 1999/2001, and have been working increasingly in the field of improvised and new music since 2001 (including with Olaf Rupp, Fine Kwiatkowski, Thomas Wiedermann, Reinhart Hammerschmidt…).
Tammo Lüers
Guitarist, producer
born May 28, 1966 in Bremen
1985-1986 Amnesia Vivace (Free Rock)
1985-1989 Crawlin‘ Kingsnakes (Rock’n’Roll)
1986-1992 The Vee Jays (Rock)
LP “Harbour Blues” 1987 CrossCut Records CCR1017
LP “Shot” 1990 Strangeways Records EFA 15730
CD “From The Shores Of Count Orlok” 1992 Zensor Records EFA 05822
Contributions to various compilations
1991-1996 Tav Falco’s Panther Burns (Underground/Rockabilly)USA
CD “Shadow Dancer” 1995 Intercord IRS 993 513
LP “Shadow Dancer” 1996 Munster Records MR 107
Contributions to various compilations
Several tours through Europe & USA
1995-present Velvetone (Roots Rock)
10″-LP “Velvetone” 1995 Bear Family Records B10 10002
CD “Vari-O-Sonic” 1998 One Million Dollar Records OMD 031
CD “Dark Blossom” 2000 CrossCut Records CCD 12003
45 Single with Wanda Jackson 2001 Swamp Room Records
Contributions to various
Multiple tours, also in Europe,
backing band for Wanda Jackson, etc.
1996-present Swim Two Birds (Outlaw Jazz)
CD “Sweet Relief” 2000 Laika Records 3510118 2
CD “No Regrets” 2001 Laika Records 3510134 2
CD “Countdown” 2003 Laika Records 3510172 2
Tours in Brazil, Bulgaria, Romania, Finland, among others
As a guest musician on productions & live with:
Carolyne Mas, Rumble On The Beach,
Abstürzende Brieftauben, Electric Family.
gu |goō|, the;
human being, first discovered in 1974; can be found singing, playing instruments, djing vinyl, writing music and/or about life, relationships and music; developed a habit of spreading funky music on vinyl via Our Label Records; writes a column for Enlace Funk Magazine; featured regularly on the club nights Urban Jazz Groove and Juke Joint Music; partly involved in the music groups The Undecided, Yankee Sandwich, Alder Ego and temporary projects of all sorts; shares his record collection on his weekly radio program Home Diggin’; associated with Keb Darge, Henry Storch, Nia Saw, The Sweet Vandals, Jazzman Gerald, The New Mastersounds, Osaka Monaurail, Diesler, Andy Smith, Guy Hennigan, Smoove and others; developed addictive tendencies when it comes to shopping for recorded music, especially vinyl; believes in love, life and respect.
The early bird catches the worm “Countdown” Swim Two Birds
The bass rumbles threateningly on the opener “Golden Eye”, the guitar moans and twangs to the uncompromising beat of the drums, while Michael Gross blows the trumpet like the late Herb Alpert. GU’s pithy voice mercilessly makes fun of the 007 films and introduces the Bremen band Swim Two Birds, who are presenting their third album here. With “Countdown“, the septet has presented a damn good, pretty cheeky and musically captivating product. Achim Gätjen or one of his colleagues probably brought a few old LPs, including “Ventures In Space” and Duane Eddy’s “The Twang’s The Thang” into the studio – the album follows in their footsteps.
“Countdown” doesn’t fit into one category. Witty and literary lyrics close to the beat generation, pithy quotes from good old US radio shows, word-sound collages from dark wave movies, funky brass sections, sophisticated arrangements – all as crazy as Flann O’Brien’s stories. “I am not your friend – don’t call yourself my friend, because you’re not!”, warn Swim Two Birds in “Advice”, and “Lonely Road” conjures up the Lonesome Rider. It’s a bit of everything, rock, jazz, garage punk, alternative. They call it outlaw jazz themselves and whistle in “Here It Comes” like in “Big Noise Of Winneteka”.
The listener feels like Alice in Wonderland: riddles all around, shrill sounds, and – to be taken literally – colorful images swirl around him. That’s what happens when you put the disc in a PC or Mac and click through a world of sounds, images, texts and high-quality graphic videos. Only with these sequences is the enjoyment that the experienced band serves up complete. “Countdown” is more than just a gripping alternative album, it is a small work of art. Welcome to the machine!
Frank Becker
Swim Two Birds 1997 in Brasília – at the invitation of the Goethe Institute Brazil – Salvador da Bahia – São Paulo – Rio de Janeiro – Brasília – Porto Alegre – Paraty
